Indian politicians face scrutiny over Independence Day verbal slips

Several Indian political leaders have faced social media scrutiny following verbal slips and ceremonial errors during Independence Day celebrations.

In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis became the subject of viral videos after mispronouncing lyrics during a patriotic song. While singing ‘Ae Watan Tere Liye’, he reportedly substituted the word ‘Watan’ (nation) with ‘Sanam’ (beloved). Opposition leaders have used the musical error to criticize his performance.

In Bihar, two ministers from Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary’s administration faced criticism from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Sports Minister Shreyasi Singh mistakenly referred to Mahatma Gandhi as ‘President’ and misnamed Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan as ‘Janprakash Narayan’ during a speech in Sitamarhi. Additionally, Health Minister Nishant Kumar was targeted by the RJD after a video surfaced appearing to show him saluting in a manner that left his back to the assembly.